The present invention generally relates to a parts washer cleaning apparatus with increased vertical cleaning agitation. In particular, to a solution cleaning apparatus with a vertical reciprocating platform having a continuous and positive support apparatus, an improved stationary bearings configuration that is designed for enhanced durability in its intended environment, and an automatic emergency shutoff fusible tube in the event of the occurrence of a fire.
Oftentimes, state-of-the-art manufacturing processes or techniques require that the various subassemblies or component parts be free of grease or other contaminants prior to fabrication to enhance the level of quality and reliability that is engineered into the completed manufactured product using the components. The degreasing and cleaning of usually greasy, oily, grimy or otherwise contaminated parts will usually require the application of heat and a selected solvent to all of the surfaces of the particular part under very controlled circumstances. Current environmental and regulatory considerations have required domestic manufacturers to eliminate vapor degreasing equipment, and the use of certain solvents, from manufacturing operations in favor of industrial cleaning problems that can be facilitated by specialized solution cleaning system or equipment that is designed to consist of multiple stages (that is, washing, rinsing and drying), which also permits the water cleaning solution and resulting residue be collected in some type of container for later disposal in accordance with various governing environmental regulations. It would also be advantageous to have cleaning equipment that could be utilized in such a manner to avoid worker contact with possible hazardous chemicals or cleaning solutions.
Generally, this type of solution cleaning equipment will have an interior tank, which is filled with an appropriate cleaning solution, which may be heated to a specified temperature, with an associated vertical transport mechanism to permit lowering and raising of a platform on which the parts are placed that require cleaning into the cleaning solution undergoing vertical agitation for a specified period of time, with the cleaning equipment being sealed for the duration of the cleaning cycle to eliminate the possibility of employee contact with any of the harsh or hazardous cleaning solutions that may be safely used. Often this operation will require that the associated interior roller bearings which pertain to the platform be correspondingly submersed into the cleaning solution for the duration of the cleansing cycle. This will result in bearings which will eventually experience accelerated failure over time and require repair or replacement of all the bearings for the equipment. It would be desirable to have a bearing apparatus having multiple stationary bearings cooperating together during operation of the cleaning equipment and which are not submersed into the cleaning solution during the cleaning cycle.
Similarly, often the platform upon which the parts are placed have not been adequately designed to facilitate varying loads, require continuous support of the platform through internal bracing that is lacking, and have the platform supported only in the vertical direction during the lifting of the platform operation with an associated load (in the form of parts to be cleaned) out of the cleaning solution, all of which results in the platform tilting forward under the various dynamic torque forces that are present, and becoming out of proper alignment, as the cleaning equipment is properly, but extensively, utilized over time. While this may pose a safety problem to the operator, this will certainly result in the bearings to wear out faster than originally designed. It would be desirable to have a platform that is positively and continuously supported at all times during the operation of the cleaning equipment.
Occasionally, a workplace emergency may arise involving a fire, potentially a dangerously explosive circumstance given the underlying fact that a flammable cleaning solution or solvent is being used by the cleaning equipment. Should the equipment operator find such an emergency present, it would be desirable for the cleaning equipment to have an automatic shutoff mechanism to reduce the chance of an explosion or a fire from further expanding.
Finally, it would be desirable if the cleaning equipment would facilitate field service by the easy replacement of certain components that are designed and engineered to have intentionally wearable surface and hence requiring regular periodic replacement with the normal and customary maintenance of the cleaning equipment by the end-user, thereby eliminating for the requirement the end-user to return the cleaning equipment to the factory for repair or replacement of all field serviceable components.
The present invention is directed to a new and novel cleaning machine apparatus having a continuous and positively supported platform which is moved in the vertical direction and which results in increased vertical agitation for the cleaning cycle and has improved roller bearings that are stationary and are not correspondingly caused to be submersed into the cleaning solution associated with an interior tank of the cleaning equipment during operation of the equipment, and which has an automatic shutoff feature for those instances of a fire emergency. The present invention is further directed to overcoming these and other shortcomings of the various cleaning machines of the prior art design and construction.